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Chapter 3: Plan
For this summer vacation, Lin Yumo planned to start early—using online courses to preview the upcoming semester’s material, while also reviewing her junior high school knowledge. Junior high content was relatively simple, so she decided to spend one month reviewing the old material, and another month previewing the new high school lessons.
She knew perfectly well she was no genius. The lesson from her muddled, half-hearted college entrance exam in her previous life was still fresh in her mind. This time, she had decided to be the “early bird”—one month reviewing junior high, another month previewing high school.
Her goal was that by the second semester of high school, when the school reorganized into different classes, she could move from the regular class into No.1 High’s elite class.
The elite class at No.1 High was every student’s dream. There was one for science and one for liberal arts, and getting in was like having one foot already in A University.
Propping her chin on her hand, Little Jasmine thought—A University, something she hadn’t even dared dream of in her previous life… maybe this time she really could…
She quickly shook her head, reeling her drifting thoughts back in. For now, she needed to take it one solid step at a time.
After all, this fifteen-year-old body housed a twenty-five-year-old soul.
She didn’t remember much of her junior high and high school material anymore, so she wanted to use the summer to strengthen her foundation.
Second Item: Preparing the Moyu Business
Even though she had only just finished her high school entrance exam, Lin Yumo knew her future brand Moyu couldn’t wait until university to start.
Third Item: Mysterious Tattoo Investigation
Lin Yumo stared at the jasmine tea leaves settled at the bottom of her cup, dipping her fingertip into the chilled tea.
The strange coolness traveled along her veins. She solemnly wrote in her notebook: “Record daily changes of the tattoo; test with different jasmine products.”
Fourth Item: Routine Management
She drew up a detailed schedule: 20 minutes of morning yoga, focusing on swan-neck exercises to improve her slouched posture; lights out strictly at 11:00 p.m.
Outside, the sunlight was perfect. Fifteen was just the start of her youth.
This time, she was going to be a beautiful, strong top student, turning all past regrets into future surprises.
Closing her notebook, Lin Yumo’s fingers lightly brushed the cover.
Sunlight filtered through the sheer curtains, scattering into fragments on the desk. The cup of jasmine tea was nearly empty now, with only a few clean white petals clinging to the bottom.
“Why is there still no reaction…” she murmured softly, her sweet voice tinged with confusion.
She picked up the cup and examined it again, her long lashes casting a small shadow under her eyes.
The faint little “jasmine” mark on her wrist remained perfectly still, showing no change at all.
Lowering her gaze to the tea leaves at the bottom, she bit her lip.
Maybe—like in those fantasy novels—mysterious powers just needed time to brew?
Shaking her head to cast away the absurd thought, she steeled herself again: the most urgent task was still to gather all the high school study materials.
From the kitchen came the sound of chopping vegetables. Lin Yumo tiptoed over.
Aunt Wu was preparing lunch, slicing cucumber into evenly sized fine strips.
“Aunt Wu,” she said softly, “could you help me make a pot of jasmine tea? And when it’s finished, could you refill it for me…”
Aunt Wu set down the cleaver, wiped her hands on her apron, and looked at her with gentle affection.
“Miss just finished her exams—why not sleep in a little longer?”
The fine lines at the corners of her eyes were filled with tenderness and worry.
Lin Yumo smiled obediently, dimples appearing on her cheeks.
“I’m about to start high school, so I wanted to prepare in advance.”
Carrying the freshly brewed tea from Aunt Wu back to her room, Lin Yumo sat by the window, staring blankly outside.
The summer breeze lifted the curtains, carrying with it the faint fragrance of jasmine from her cup.
She lowered her gaze to her arm—the petal-like mark there remained as quiet as ever.
The corner of the study plan on her desk fluttered slightly in the wind, the page covered with densely written review schedules.
Placing the teapot within reach, she decided to drink a few more cups today and see what happened.
“I’ll know by tomorrow morning…” she thought.
The cicadas chirped one after another from the shade of the trees as Lin Yumo, still rubbing the sleep from her eyes, slid into the back seat of the car.
The jasmine cakes Aunt Wu had made were still warm; she carefully tucked them into her canvas bag—energy supplies for her upcoming bookstore trip.
The cool air of the Xinhua Bookstore rushed toward her, laced with the scent of ink, instantly waking her up.
In the coffee area by the floor-to-ceiling windows, young people sat reading novels, the aroma of lattes mingling with the rustle of turning pages.
In the study-aid section, parents frowned over books while students drooped their heads. Somewhere, a practice workbook was being held aloft above the crowd, swaying like a faint afterimage.
Her fingers tightened around her phone, the silver bracelet on her wrist giving a soft, crisp clink.
Following the sign for High School Study Guides, she turned past three bookshelves—only to be stunned by the sight before her.
An entire wall of workbooks stretched from floor to ceiling, their red, blue, and green covers cascading like a waterfall of color.
Three Years of the College Entrance Exam, Three Years of Simulation, Pass in One Go, Must-Do Questions… These names, both familiar and strange, stirred her memories.
“Need any help, miss?” The store clerk’s voice suddenly sounded beside her.
Pulled back to reality, Lin Yumo shook her head and curved her lips into a polite smile.
She lowered her gaze again to the copy of Three Years of the College Entrance Exam, Three Years of Simulation in her hands, the paper making a soft rustle beneath her fingers.
Her phone screen was still lit, paused on a Zhihu thread titled Recommended High School Study Guides.
She bit her lower lip lightly, her eyes drifting between the names “Wang Houxiong” and “Xue Jinxing.”
Her memories from her past life were like faded old photographs—she vaguely remembered using one of them back then, but no matter how she tried, she couldn’t recall the details.
For Chinese and math, her foundation was strong; there was no need to start from the very beginning of high school.
“…I’ll go with this one,” she murmured, tiptoeing to pull down a copy of Complete High School Knowledge for Chinese and math from the top shelf.
“Jumping straight to college entrance exam level?” she whispered to herself as she flipped to the table of contents.
Sunlight filtered through the pages, making the printed words glimmer faintly—functions, solid geometry, classical Chinese reading… The mix of familiarity and strangeness left her momentarily dazed.
The anxiety from her previous life’s college entrance exam suddenly rose in her chest, but she quickly pushed it down.
From not far away came a loud thud—a bespectacled boy had accidentally dropped his copy of Huanggang Test Papers.
Flustered, he scrambled to pick it up, his movements even more awkward when he noticed Lin Yumo’s gaze.
The sight reminded her of her own panicked state before the exams in her last life.
This time will be different, she told herself firmly. This time, I’ll be ahead of everyone.